


Once upon a Time

by IDMIDray



Series: Ironqrow week 2020 [5]
Category: RWBY
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-01-19
Updated: 2020-01-19
Packaged: 2021-02-27 08:54:28
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 7,354
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22314379
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/IDMIDray/pseuds/IDMIDray
Summary: James had never been special; he had always believed that he had come from nothing.Day 5: Royalty AU and Day 6: Deep regrets/Happily ever after.For Ironqrow week 2020, sorry it's so late!
Relationships: Qrow Branwen/James Ironwood
Series: Ironqrow week 2020 [5]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1600576
Kudos: 17





	1. To be a Prince

**Author's Note:**

> This is my extremely late day 5 prompt for Ironqrow week 2020  
> Please forgive me and enjoy!  
> Comments are love!

James had never been special; he had always believed that he had come from nothing. His parents hadn’t even been his actual parents, he had been adopted by this nice older couple who never found his birth parents. His adoptive parents said he had been found in a wicker basket at the local church as a baby with nothing but a baby blanket. They had to register his birth certificate so the birthday they had picked for him was not accurate, the year maybe but not the month or day. Not that James minded, he liked his birth date, he liked his name they had picked for him. James, it was a common name but to him, it meant the world, it gave him an identity, and his name was probably the only important thing about him.

Tomorrow was his theoretical birthday, he was turning eighteen, and he wanted to start giving back to his parents for raising and caring for him, he was going to get a job. His mother was all for it, his father however, hadn’t wanted him to get a job. Preferring he stay around the house to help his mother with the chores. James had argued with him then, a pretty huge blowout that had his father reluctantly agree to let him work in the village. So, James would spend a good part of his day tomorrow handing out resumes.  
That morning he awoke bright and early, groaning because he was not a morning person by any means. He got up, quickly showered away the bed head, dressed in his best clothes and grabbed the stack of resume papers. He greeted his parents and told them he would be back in time for lunch, not wanting anything to distract him from his goal. He headed down the street to the tiny village just south of Mistral, there wasn’t many places he could apply for a job, being so far from the kingdom. He applied at the baker’s, the one clothing store, and the local pub. No one else was hiring right now, he nodded, chances were high that at least one of them would contact him. But he couldn’t help but feel anxious, he needed this, to help get money so he could properly thank his parents and for something to do in an otherwise boring village.

He went home and enjoyed a birthday lunch and cake with his parents, then he headed back out to try to catch the latest news from the kingdom. Part of the issue when living in a remote village thousands of miles away from the kingdom of Atlas, the only kingdom of the four that still recognize the monarchy despite being so advanced with technology, was that communications was spotty. There was only one area in the village you could go to connect with the world which just happened to be the smallest library in the history of ever. Which connected to the outdated school where a total of twenty kids in each grade frequented. He smiled at the librarian, who was sorting through some of the books people had already returned that morning.

He warmed up the computer and began searching the news. Vale was experiencing freak weather which wasn’t shocking in the least, Mantle, the largest city nearest Atlas, was currently experiencing a draught. Atlas itself was celebrating the nineteenth birthday of their son while mourning the loss of that same son who had disappeared eighteen years ago. When the queen had announced her pregnancy, having a son, the kingdom had rejoiced but somehow a kidnapper had snuck through the palace and stole the prince from where he slept. Because of that, security had doubled, and the kingdom had been locked down. Many search parties have been issued, none of them had been successful. A new search party was to be announced today, so James leaned back and watched. A woman with white hair and light blue eyes appeared on the screen. “My name is Willow Schnee, owner of the Schnee weapons company. It is with great apprehension that I announce the beginning of the prince’s search party. But this one is being open to the public, Atlas has decided to offer a reward if anyone could bring the prince home safely, from any part of the realm. The Atlesian search party will lead the search, starting in Mantle and going to Vacuo, Mistral and Vale and even to the most rural of villages. Be safe everyone, the reward will be posted on all major sites.” With that Willow left the screen and the news reporter went onto more details about the search.

James blinked, that was new, the search party only ever included Atlesians and they rarely ever went to the other kingdoms. Something must have happened within the royal family that is causing the search to quadruple its search. He was about to shut the computer down and head home when the captioning caught his attention. He’d never known the prince’s name, so he was shocked to read the captioning, “Please join in the search to find the crown prince James Ironwood for a reward of 500,000 lien.” His name was James, granted it was a common name, but he had been told by several people in the village that he looked Atlesian not Mistrali. That combined with the fact that he had been found with no birth certificate.

He jumped up and left the library, he had so many questions and he wasn’t sure he wanted to know the answer. He couldn’t breathe, he ended up running down the street to the church he had been found at. He banged on the door not caring that he was on religious grounds and should be respectful. The priest that opened the door didn’t seem at all surprised at the banging as he opened the door. He smiled down at James. “What could I do for you child?”

James sighed, “Do you remember when you found me?”

The priest nodded, and beckoned for him to come in. James did, hesitating when he realized he hadn’t been to church in years. The priest beckoned for James to follow him to the front of the church, where he had an office in the side of the building. When they were both sitting down, the priest began talking. “It was a strange sight, finding a baby on the doorstep… it wasn’t the first time that it’s happened, but usually there was a letter or a birth certificate or something. But for you, you were wrapped so carefully in a blanket, the design of which I’ve only seen during my brief stay in Atlas.”

“So, I am from Atlas?” James interrupted.

The priest smiled, “I believe so, yes, churches often get babies from all over, but it was so odd to get an Atlesian baby in these parts. So far from the city.”

James frowned, “And my parents wanted me almost immediately?” He asked, recalling his father saying how they had been the first ones to offer to foster and later adopt James officially.

“Your father came to church the next day, which had been odd, seeing as the last time he came was almost six months prior where he all but cursed at the Gods.”

James leaned forward, “Why did he curse the Gods?”

The priest shrugged, “It is not my place to tell.”

James looked thoughtful, but when he came the next day, you mentioned finding a newborn?”

“Yes, his eyes lit up and he asked to see you. From there he offered to foster. They chose your name the next day.”

James stood up, “I suppose I should here this from them, right?” The priest stood up as well, “Thank you for your time Father.”

The priest nodded once again, “Any time for a child of the Gods.”

James left the church feeling slightly better having some answers, but he was still confused and angry at his parents. Lost in his thoughts he hadn’t noticed when arriving home. He reached out, placing a hand on the doorknob, freezing as the anger surfaced. They couldn’t even bother changing his name. This means they knew his actual birthday, and this was in fact his birthday. He gripped the knob and took a deep breath.

He opened the door and walked into the sitting room where he knew his parents would be sitting.

His father looked up and smiled widely at him, “Ah James! We weren’t expecting you for another hour. Your mother has dinner cooking and we were picking out some movies to watch!” His smile faltered when he saw that James hadn’t spoken and hadn’t moved further into the room.

“Honey?” His mother asked, concern on her face. “Is everything alright?”

James sighed and ran a hand through his hair, “No, nothing is alright. Did you know?”

“Know what?” She asked, standing up to approach her son. Reaching out a hand to take his, he pulled away from her.

“Did you know where I was from? Who my parents were?” He asked again, staring at his father.

His father stood up, “James. Where is this coming from?”

“They released the prince’s name after nineteen years.” James stated more calmly than he felt.

His father blanched, “Let’s not talk about this right now huh?” he tried to reach for James, but James pushed him away.

“You couldn’t even change my name? If you felt guilt over what you did, then why go through with it?” He confronted, letting slip some of the anger he was feeling.

His father broke then, “James. I’m so sorry, I was angry, so angry that the king’s brand-new wife could so easily give birth after my wife and I struggled for ten years. Do you know how many miscarriages we’ve had? It wasn’t fair, that they could be so happy while we were so miserable.”

James scoffed, “What wasn’t fair, was you stealing a baby that you had no right too.”

His father slumped, his mother looked confused and hurt. “No, he said the priest found you on the doorstep…” she said, stepping forward.

“That part is true, he left me there only to collect me the next day.” James said, “He lied to you for eighteen years.”

She started to cry then, he wanted to go over there and hug her as this was not her fault, but he couldn’t bring himself to. Instead he turned around and went into his room and grabbed anything that he wanted to keep. He ended up leaving most of his clothes, he wouldn’t need them in the kingdom of Atlas. He was stopped by his mother on the way out.  
“James… I swear I didn’t know, if I had I would have returned you.” She whimpered, fresh tears forming in her eyes.

James smiled at her, “Thank you for raising me, I’ll always consider you my mother.” He placed his hand on her shoulder, her hand immediately going to rest on top of his.

“I love you James.” She whispered as he hugged her.

“I’ll write to you from Atlas. I haven’t decided if I’m going to have him arrested or not.” He mentioned.

She nodded, “I’m sure he has enough guilt and shame to last him a lifetime.”

James sighed, “I understand where he was coming from. That can’t have been easy, to go through that.”

“No… it was… it was awful. The hopes and disappointments and guilt that I felt over losing each baby. That’s why I was so glad to have you. You were my blessing even though you weren’t related by birth.”

James hugged her again, “I love you mom.” He whispered, then he left before he could be convinced to stay. He didn’t have much money, not wanting to steal money from his parents. Ironic seeing as he was stolen in the first place. But he set off in the direction of Atlas, hoping to come across a search party but also not wanting to be the reason some undeserving fellow got that much money. If anything, he would send his mother the money and send his father to prison. But they loved each other, and he didn’t want his mother to be completely alone. Perhaps she would be willing to come to Atlas and live in a comfortable home. He was lost in thought, to the point where he didn’t even realize he had walked into someone.

“Woah buddy watch where you are goi-“ A husky voice sounded from the ground, the guy had abruptly stopped when he got a good look at James’ face.

“I’m so sorry, I admit I was lost in thought. Would you like a hand?” James asked, hand outstretched to help the guy up.

The guy rubbed the back of his neck, then took the offered hand. “Thanks… where are you going in such a hurry?”

James laughed, “You must think this stupid but I’m heading to Atlas.”

“…why?” the guy asked, dusting off his pants. “Atlas is cold and is constantly monitored by soldiers.”

James tilted his head to the side, “You’ve been to Atlas?”

“Heh, I used to work for the royal family as a guard. Until my drinking got in the way.” He said, completely unashamed.

“Really.” James said, judging the man before him. He looked like he had just rolled out of bed, he had some major bed head, but he was easy on the eyes and seemed genuine.

The guy stood back, “Watch it pal, I don’t take kindly to being judged.”

James laughed again, “Sorry, I was just wondering how you managed to get a job for the royal family. I thought only Atlesians were able to work directly for the family.”

“I knew a few people that owed me a favor.” The man shrugged.

James held out his hand, “Well, my name is James.”

The guy stared at his hand, then squinted at him. “The name is Qrow. Qrow Branwen.” He grabbed the hand. “Say… James… how old are you?”

“I guess I’m nineteen.”

“You guess?”

“Yeah, I found out some news about my birth, so I’m actually a year older than I thought I was.”

Qrow hummed, “I’m twenty-two.”

“Twenty-two? How did you end up working in a different kingdom that young?” James exclaimed in surprise.

Qrow shrugged, “I’ve been on my own for a while, needed the money. Cashed in those favors early.”

James was surprised, “Were you heading anywhere specific?”

Qrow shrugged again, “Not really. Why?”

“Want to accompany me to Atlas? I’ll be able to compensate you for your troubles once we arrive.”

“How much money?” Qrow asked,

“Depends, why are you on your own?”

Qrow sighed, “Parents died when I was young, my sister is off who knows where and I got nowhere to go really.”

“How does 500,000 lien sound?” James asked, happy to run into someone who actually could use the money.

Qrow looked him up and down, then cocked his head to the side. “How does a nineteen-year-old have that kind of money?” he asked suspiciously.

James smirked, “Accompany me and you’ll find out.”

Qrow grinned, “Buddy, don’t tempt me like that.”

“Hah, like what?”

Qrow stepped closer, “I’ll accompany you; I might even take the money when we arrive, might not. Depends.”

“Depends on what?” James asked.

“On how fun the journey is.” Qrow stated as he turned around and headed the opposite direction he currently was headed. “Let’s go Jim.”

“It’s James.” James said but headed after Qrow.

On the way they started talking, they discussed their interests. Qrow was fascinated by birds, crows specifically. “Heh, it’s my name sake after all.” He has joked, James said he had really admired birds and the freedom and ability to fly. They actually had a lot of the same things in common, their taste in food were really similar to one another.

When it came time to stop walking, Qrow flirted his way into a one bed hotel room. James had been a little embarrassed to sleep in the same bed as a guy he had just met that day. Qrow had felt no such embarrassments. Easily stripping into just his undershirt and underwear. James had blushed upon seeing him almost naked, Qrow winked at him and then got into his side of the bed and turned over to face the wall. James was grateful for that, as he stripped down to his undershirt and underwear.

James had a hard time falling asleep and all to soon morning came. He and Qrow both groaned and stretched. They stared at each other and laughed. Qrow got up first and after using the bathroom, offered James the shower, saying he could take one first.

After James was washed and dressed, he packed up their bags and waited for Qrow to be ready so they could grab breakfast and head out. Atlas being a three-day journey away assuming they didn’t take major stops except at night. 

“I spy with my little eye something blue.” Qrow said. It was around noon and they were both a little tired of walking, but none were willing to stop just yet. They weren’t close to a village and they both forgot to grab snacks to last the day.

“The sky?” James guessed, hoping it wouldn’t be that simple.

“Nope.” Qrow said with a little pop to the p sound.

James continued guessing until he finally gave up. “What was it?”

Qrow grinned, “Your eyes.”

James stared at him, deadpan. “Really?”

Qrow shrugged, “I mean, they are a cool blue color. Very neat to look at.”

James blushed slightly then cleared his throat. “It’s my turn, right?”

Qrow nodded, “Go for it, Jim.”

“It’s James.” He said, “I spy the color red.”

Qrow looked around and hummed, “It wouldn’t happen to be the color of my eyes would it?”

James sighed, “Damn you’re good at this.”

Qrow grinned, “Jimmy, the only thing around us right now that’s red is my eyes.” He pulled out his knife, “And this I guess, the handle is red.”

James stared, “Why do you have a knife?”

“To protect myself?” Qrow retorted.

“Why though?”

“Jeez have you been leaving under a rock. There are bandits around these parts. One can never be too careful.” Qrow said.

“I guess I’ve just never imagined the dangers of traveling.” James said.

Qrow laughed, “Well stick with me Jim and I’ll show you the ropes.”

“It’s James.” James responded, exasperated.

The entire journey had been nothing but a good time, getting to know Qrow made him feel bad for lying to him so on their final night, having just reached the borders of Mantle. He decided to tell Qrow the truth.

“Qrow.” James called out to the man, who had gone on ahead of him on the road.

“Hmmm?” Qrow responded, turning to look at James.

“I need to tell you something.” He said, catching up to Qrow now that he had stopped moving.

Qrow seemed thoughtful, “What is it Jim?”

James didn’t even bother correcting Qrow, he hadn’t stopped calling him Jim and lately, James found he hadn’t minded. “I…” he sighed and ran a hand through his hair, “I’m actually going to Atlas because I…” he started when Qrow interrupted.

“The prince?” he asked.

James started, “You knew?”

Qrow shrugged, “I’m not an idiot Jim, it didn’t take me long to realize that the only reason someone like you would have 500,000 liens is if you were the long-lost prince of Atlas. Like I said, I might take the money, I might not. I’m not desperate for money.”

James sighed, “I’m sorry for not telling you.”

Qrow smiled, “I get it, it’s hard to trust someone you don’t know. I’m glad you trust me now though.”

James smiled too, “Yeah, so why did you want to accompany me to Atlas, if not for the money?”

Qrow stared at him, “Because you’re hot and oblivious. It’s adorable.” He answered bluntly.

James blushed, “R-really?”

Qrow nodded, “And you literally don’t know the dangers of walking alone. I do and I can handle it. But you didn’t, so I decided to come. I’m glad I did.”

James leaned forward. “I’m glad you did too.”

Qrow placed a hand on James’ chest to stop him. “Let’s get you to Atlas then we will continue this conversation.”

The rest of the way was filled with small talk and random games. All too soon they had reached Atlas and all too soon he was being embraced by his parents. The guards insisted on running a DNA test and James didn’t blame them, they’d probably had a thousand or so young boys over they years claim to their son.

While they waited for test results, he got to know his birth parents better. He had been right when he suspected that something had happened. It turned out his father was terminally ill and with no other heir, he was their last hope to continue the lineage. James hadn’t been sure if he was up to the task. Which is something he voiced to Qrow, who had in fact declined the reward money, citing that James had been on his way to Atlas before he ran into Qrow, so the money was James’ technically.

Qrow had been lounging on the bed in his temporary room until they got his bedroom cleared up. “I think you’d make a great king Jimmy. Hot and kind. It’s a good combination.”

James scoffed, “And you would make a great guard. So, as my first act as king, I’m hiring you to be my personal bodyguard.”

Qrow laughed, “Well then, king” he growled, “How about as your second act, you come show me what it means to be under you.”

James blushed, “Very funny.”

“I’m serious. Gods you are so oblivious. I’ve been trying to get in your pants since I met you, but you’ve been too sweet that I wanted to get to know you. Now get over here already.”

James obliged, “Only if you promise to stay here, with me.”

Qrow hummed, “Yeah, I will.”

“Good.” James said in response, capturing Qrow’s lips in a kiss.


	2. Meeting the family?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It had been two weeks since James and Qrow had arrived in Atlas. James had been quite busy learning the rules and responsibilities expected from royalty, James was smart which had impressed Qrow. James had picked up his responsibilities remarkably well. But James being busy so often, left Qrow alone most of the time
> 
> Day 6 of Ironqrowweek; Deep regrets/Happily ever after

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope everyone enjoys, comments are much appreciated!

It had been two weeks since James and Qrow had arrived in Atlas. James had been quite busy learning the rules and responsibilities expected from royalty, James was smart which had impressed Qrow. James had picked up his responsibilities remarkably well. But James being busy so often, left Qrow alone most of the time. Which was fine, Qrow thought, their relationship had just briefly started even if it was the first real relationship Qrow had ever had. He had to admit, when he first met James, he was hoping for a brief fling, which is what he was used to. But that journey from Mistral to Atlas, getting to know James along the way, he had started to develop feelings. 

Qrow was a Branwen, Branwens by nature, didn’t handle relationships well. Qrow had counted himself lucky that he hadn’t had the desire to start a long-term relationship. That was, until James quite literally walked into his life. James with his gentle nature and his blue eyes. His intelligence that Qrow had been quite obsessed with during those few moments they got to themselves. Qrow laying on their bed, listening to James recount books he’s never even heard of. James had been so eager to share with him, and Qrow watching the way his eyes lit up, Qrow could tell he was becoming attached to this man, his feelings were deepening.

Which, Qrow sighed in dismay, was another thing all Branwens shared in common, they fell fast and fell hard. Qrow poured himself another drink, he wasn’t sure what it would be like dating the future king of Atlas, but he was willing to try. Enjoying what he could, when he could. Right now, James should be with his birth parents, even when Qrow had worked for them, he had only ever met once. They seemed nice enough, but they had no idea of the nature between the two men. Qrow wasn’t sure if James could even be with someone who wasn’t from Atlas, let alone a male. Didn’t royals need to produce an heir? He ran a hand through his hair, he should probably brush up on the duties of royals as well. 

He groaned and stood up, swaying a little as he did so. He hadn’t realized he had drunk that much but he had apparently drunk that much. He left the kitchens of the mansion, the employees and servants there were grateful that he was leaving. He strode through the hallways, marveling at the architecture and art décor, which was as grandiose as he remembered them. Due to his drunken haze, he must have taken a wrong turn, but he passed by the room that James was having his meeting with his parents. Recognizing his voice, he stopped in his tracks. He was surprised there were no guards posted outside the door, but he wasn’t mad at that fact. It allowed him to eavesdrop after all, creeping forward, he leaned against the wall, getting as close as he dared. The door was slightly ajar, allowing him to peer in, he saw James sitting at the table, putting down a teacup.   
James started speaking again, and from his tone, Qrow could tell that it was a touchy subject for him. “I haven’t decided what I want to do just yet.”

“But James…” the Queen, Jan, Qrow thought her name was, spoke up. “They took you from your crib. Denying you of being raised with your actual parents.”

James’ tone got harsher, “That may be, but they are my parents too, they raised me, clothed and fed me and made sure I had a roof over my head for almost nineteen years.”

“They hid you from the world, from Atlas.” His father, was it Alex? Qrow questioned, Gods he was horrible with names, spoke up equally as harsh as James.

“I know that. But my mother didn’t know. She found out the day I did.” James responded, sounding defensive.

“I’m your mother, James.” Jan spoke softly, clearly upset that her son was defending kidnappers.

James’ tone softened, “I know… but to the both of us, you’ve only been my mother for a couple of weeks. I- I just need time to adjust. This is all still so new to me.”

His mother put her hand on his gently, “I understand James.”

“Would it be so unreasonable to bring them to Atlas?” He enquired, which had caused his parents to look at each other, with unreadable looks.

“Both of them? Didn’t you say in a previous conversation you wanted just your mother to come here?” The king asked.

“I… I’ve thought about it, they are happier together and while I mull over the decision to arrest them. I would like them to be with one another as long as possible.” James stated.

Jan sighed, “Then… they can come… we’ll set up a suite for them. But don’t expect us to treat them with kindness. They robbed us of your childhood.”

James nodded, “Thank you. Now, I should go if I want to continue to read about Atlas’ history.” He stood up then and bowed slightly to the both of them.

Qrow had to scurry into a standing position as James opened the door to leave. James stopped when he saw Qrow. “Qrow?” He questioned.

Qrow rubbed the back of his head. “Um… hi, uh.”

James grabbed his hand and pulled him down the hall. “Were you eavesdropping?” He whispered.

“Kind of?” Qrow answered, “I didn’t realize you wanted your adoptive parents here.”

James stopped and pulled Qrow into an empty room. Closing the door, he turned to face Qrow. “I miss them Qrow. Even my father. I regret leaving that day as angry as I was. I hurt them both and I want to make that right.”

Qrow took a step towards James, “But he kidnapped you and lied to his wife and you for years.”

James sighed, “I know, I’m not forgiving him for that. It’s complicated.”

Qrow laughed bitterly, “Believe me, I know complicated.”

James looked up and stared into Qrow’s eyes. “We’ve never talked about our families before have we?”

Qrow shrugged, “I guess not.”

“If… if we want this relationship to continue, to turn into something more serious, we should… shouldn’t we?” James asked, seeming uncertain.

Qrow swallowed, he wasn’t sure talking about his family was something he wanted to be doing but it was for James. Who knew, perhaps something Qrow said would help settle James’ uncertain mind. “Let’s get some lunch and talk yeah?”

James decided to grab food from the kitchens while Qrow meandered back to their room. Which he highly suspected no one knew he stayed there instead of his own room in the employee’s wing. James’ quarters were nice and spacious and private. Qrow sat on the bed and wandered where he should start. His parent’s divorce, Raven going off on her own and abandoning him, his cousin Robyn being his contact in Atlas that had gotten him the job at the mansion that he promptly ruined.

James returned sooner than expected with food that smelled delicious. “Figured we needed comfort food for this conversation.” He mentioned as he set it down on the table.

Qrow whistled, “Look at you, carrying all that by yourself in one trip.” He got off the bed and joined him at the table.

James laughed, “What would you say if you found out I took several trips and left all the food on the floor so I could impress you by coming in with everything at once?”

Qrow cackled, “I would say you got balls, to attempt that in order to impress me.”

James blushed, “Well, that’s totally not what happened. I carried everything from the kitchens all the way here.”

Qrow rested his head on his hand and stared at James with a fond smile. James sat down and smiled back at Qrow. “You really don’t need to try so hard to impress me. Everything you do is breathtaking.” He blurted out aloud.

James seemed surprised, “Really?”

Qrow nodded, “You left the comforts of everything you knew to travel the dangerous roads, alone, to come here, to something so completely new and different from everyday life. That’s something so brave that I admire about you.”

James blushed, “Are you saying you wouldn’t have?”

Qrow thought about it, “I would have been angry and upset to learn the truth, but I don’t think I would have left willingly. With all those search parties out there, it would have only been a matter of time and I wouldn’t have had to be alone. I wouldn’t have had to make that tough decision on my own.”

James looked thoughtful, “I suppose I could have stayed behind. But then I wouldn’t have met you, someone who I don’t think I could ever picture being without now.”

Qrow smirked, “Ah Jimmy, such a charmer.” Qrow reached across the table and took James’ hand. “It’s no wonder I fell for you.”

James looked surprised again, “You fell for me?”

Qrow nodded, “Hook, line and sinker.” 

James’ look shifted to confusion, “What?”

“You’ve never fished before have you?”

James laughed, “No, I have not.”

Qrow laughed, “Well it’s the most boring sport out there but it’s relaxing too. I fish when I’m stressed out.” He paused, “I suppose I’ll have to find some new boring sport to do, can’t really fish in Atlas.”

“Atlas does have a body of water, a lake to be precise. It’s just frozen. I believe ice fishing is a thing.”

“And freeze my ass off waiting for a fish to bite. I fish to relax, not think about how it would have been better for me to stay in bed, wrapped in blankets.”

James smiled, “True.” He sighed, “Now, let’s stop stalling. Tell me about your family Qrow.”

Qrow tilted his head, “Well… the Branwens are kind of an odd bunch. I don’t really see any of them that often, usually like maybe once a year. We get together and fight mostly.”

“Really? I’ve never met a family that really argues.”

“Heh, yeah, our fights are brutal.” He swallowed and thought of Raven. “I had a falling out with my sister. Raven.”

“Raven, Qrow. Both birds.” James commented, not meaning to interrupt.

Qrow rolled his eyes, “My mother was determined to keep up with the bird theme. Her name is Dove. Her sister, Ava had done the same with her daughter, Robyn. Aunt Ava passed away when Robyn was like two.”

“I’m sorry to hear that.” James said genuinely.

“It’s fine, I really didn’t know Aunt Ava well, she left and moved to Mantle before I was born. We only ever saw Robyn after her passing. Until Robyn moved back to Mantle when she was seventeen.”

“Still… I can’t fathom losing a family member.”

“Then prepare yourself, remember I said I had a falling out with Raven?”

“Yes. I do.”

“It was such a pointless argument now that I think about it but it’s one of deepest regrets. She’s my twin sister, older than me by a few minutes. And she always made sure I knew that fact. You can’t do that, I’m older, you must listen to me. Mom put me in charge. Bullshit like that. Well anyways that fight started like any other sibling fight you might have seen or read in your books. But us Branwens, we never do anything simply. It turned into a physical fight.” Qrow saw the look on James’ face, “Don’t give me that, I was defending myself, Raven literally attacked me with a knife.”

“Gods, I’m sorry.”

Qrow shrugged, “You might have seen that scar on my lower back. That was from her.”

James had in fact seen that scar and had decided to file that question away for another day.

“Anyways, she left after mom sided with me. We were I think sixteen at the time. I haven’t heard from her since. I have no idea where she is.”

James’s hand squeezed his. “I’m sorry, is that why you’ve been travelling? You’ve been looking for her?”

“Partially, I also really needed to get away from the family drama. My parents had divorced the following year and they both adamantly told me that it wasn’t because of us. But I think it was. Dad split, last I heard from him, he found a normal family and took their last name in an effort to disassociate from the Branwen name.”

“My word…”

Qrow laughed, “It gets better- “

“I can’t imagine how.” James interrupted again.

Qrow smirked, “My mom, took off too. But instead of finding a new man she stalked Dad for a few years until she got arrested. Now she’s doing a few years in prison.” James looked mildly concerned at that. “Her version of stalking was definitely prison worthy.” Qrow leaned forward, “Don’t worry, the Branwens may have mental issues but I promise mine are not the psychopath kind. I won’t stalk you if you ever decide you had enough of me.”

James leaned forward too, rubbing circles with his thumb on Qrow’s hand. “I can promise you that even with the insanity you’ve been through, I won’t get sick of you. You’re my rock in this place.”

Qrow smiled, “Good. It isn’t so strange to want your family with you though. I want to see Raven again even though she tried to kill me. In her defense, I think she had a psychotic break or something. She takes after Mom.”

“I kind of figured.” James murmured, “Qrow, what should I do about my family? I love my adoptive parents. I don’t want to see my father in prison, but I do think he should atone for kidnapping.”

Qrow looked thoughtful, “He was a good dad yeah?”

“The best. He was always kind, a little weird when I wanted to have some freedom, but I guess I realize why though. He didn’t want anyone to figure out the truth.” James said, “But he loves me. I… I love him too. They are so different from my birth parents. I have no idea what the right answer is.”

Qrow leaned back, “You have to listen to your heart James.”

“I think that’s why I’m asking you.” James blurted out before he could stop himself, he blushed immediately after.

Qrow paused, “Oh.” He started blushing too, he cleared his throat. “Before we go back to family topics, I feel the same.”

James smiled, “That’s good. Otherwise I just screwed up the start of something good.”

Qrow bit his bottom lip. “Gods you are amazing.”

James’ blush returned, he pulled Qrow towards him at the same time he leaned forward. Catching his lips in a kiss.

“Mmhmm, really amazing.” Qrow murmured. He leaned back, “To go back to the conversation for a second, I feel like your dad doesn’t deserve prison, but like community service or something. Maybe helping out at a local orphanage. Something to atone for the crime.”

James’ eyes lit up, “Qrow that’s it! You’re a genius!” James leapt to his feet in his excitement, conveniently forgetting that their hands were still attached. Qrow was forced to his feet as well, not that he minded, it allowed him the excuse to walk around the table and pull James into another kiss. One that was returned and deepened in earnest.

Over the next several months, Qrow and James’ relationship deepened every day. James’ adoptive mother was the first to notice her son being smitten. Qrow had been shy and embarrassed to meet her but she welcomed him with open arms, thanking him for keeping her son company and allowing him to grow into such a great man. To which Qrow had responded that he was already a great man when he met him, just kind of innocent about the dangers of the world.

Almost a year after Qrow met James was when James’ birth parents had called them both to one of their dining rooms. James had been fidgeting nonstop when he realized that they had found out, he had been nervous to figure out how they would handle it. There was nothing in the laws explicitly stating that James had to marry a female, he did need an heir, but it didn’t have to be biological. That had been a huge relief when Qrow had found out, it would have been just his luck that he would have met the perfect person and would have to leave him because of stupid politics. Qrow meeting the king and queen officially still scared him because he wasn’t sure if James would choose him over his family.

He trusted James and James trusted him, but family was something special. Even with his deranged clinically insane family, he wouldn’t know what he would do if he didn’t have them. Hell, it was why he carried around the knife Raven had used to stab him with. That shit was important to him.

The king and queen hadn’t welcomed him with open arms, not that he was expecting them too. They were royalty, they had a reputation to uphold. The queen, whose name was not Jan but was in fact Rebecca, wow was he way off, had offered him a polite smile. Invited him to sit next to her while James sat across from them next to his father.

“Qrow, how is it that you’ve been here for a year and we’ve never met you before?” She asked politely but Qrow could hear the hurt in her voice.

Qrow resisted the urge to rub the back of his head, he really wanted a drink but with this relationship of his, he had cut back. Something he regretted in this moment. “I… We had just entered this relationship and we wanted to make sure of where we stood first.”

The queen nodded, “Which is understandable but why did I have to find the nature of your relationship out from a servant of all people?”

James answered then, “We weren’t trying to hide this from you. We wanted time to ourselves without announcing our relationship to the public.”

The king frowned, “Are you saying that we would have forced you to out your relationship?”

“I apologize but yes, that’s exactly what I thought. If there’s one thing I learned since arriving is that royals have no privacy. Forgive me for wanting to maintain my own shred of privacy. I’ve never been in a relationship and I could not imagine being in another if it wasn’t with Qrow. I didn’t want to risk ruining that by prematurely announcing that I love Qrow Branwen.” James ended, realizing that he once again awkwardly blurted out his feelings. His face turned a nice shade of red.

Qrow gaped, they hadn’t said the L word to each other yet. He felt his own face heating up. The king and queen seemed shocked. “I… uh Jimmy. This wasn’t where I imagined saying this, but I love you too.”

James smiled and his eyes softened as he gazed at Qrow. The King and Queen sighed in unison.

“We just wanted to make sure of how serious this was.” Rebecca said, “Qrow, please treat our son with respect and kindness and don’t break his heart.”

Qrow nodded, “I won’t. If I do, I’m sure Jimmy will throw me in prison.” He joked.

James’ smile grew, “Oh, I’ve already built you your own private cell.”

Qrow stared at him, “Wait. Really? I was joking.”

James hummed and started eating.

“Jim?” Qrow was highly concerned by this information because he couldn’t tell if James was serious or not.

The rest of dinner went well enough, James’ parents opened up significantly by the end of it and Qrow found out that James’ father’s name was Richard. Qrow was disappointed he hadn’t remembered their names correctly and even more disappointed when he found out that they didn’t appreciate Qrow having called them Jan or Alex for the better part of a year.

James led Qrow back to their room after dessert sighing contently. “Now I need to prepare myself to meet your family.”

Qrow wrapped an arm around James’ waist, “Well you can start with Robyn, she doesn’t live too far from here.”

“Is she sane?” James asked, jokingly.

Qrow playfully punched him, which earned a few disapproving stares from the guards that lined the wall. “She’s saner than I am.”

“Well then, I can meet her. Although, if you want too, we could start the search for your sister.”

Qrow looked up at him, “I think she’s in Vacuo. I could be wrong. I haven’t gotten that far; with what limited money I have.”

“You could have taken that 500,000 lien you know.”

Qrow shrugged, “Why take the money when you get the prize.”

James paused, causing Qrow to stop. “I’ve wanted to do this all evening.” He murmured, not giving Qrow a chance to process what he said before James scooped Qrow up bridal style and pushed open the door to their room. Qrow squawked in surprise but wrapped his arms around James’ neck all the same.

James gently placed Qrow on the bed, quickly going back to close the door and locking it. From there he turned around and gave Qrow the most predatory look that he’s ever seen from the man. James hit the switch on his way over, cursed as he ran into some kind of furniture, he suspected the couch, which broke the mood somewhat. Qrow having laughed at James’ suffering, that laughter being cut off quickly when James reached him and captured his lips with his own.

“I meant it when I said I love you Qrow.” He murmured in Qrow’s ear as he started trailing kisses down his neck.

Qrow rolled his eyes and smiled, playing at trying to remove James’ belt in the dark. “I love you too Jimmy.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I decided to make Robyn Qrow's cousin and contact in Atlas.   
> You'll be seeing her and Raven next chapter for Day 7 - Free day or repeat day of Ironqrow week. ;)  
> Also I may have deviated from James' character a bit by making him interrupt so often but like this is young James and not canon James so I took certain liberations. Forgive me?

**Author's Note:**

> I'll be posting part 2 tomorrow ;)


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